Random music news for Tuesday, September 24, 2019

This past weekend–which was hot and very summery–my mom looked at all the people wearing white pants despite being three weeks after Labour Day. “In the old days, you’d never do that,” she sighed, “but that’s climate change for you.” Here’s music news for September 24, 2019.

1. The Led Zeppelin plagiarism continues after five years. The allegations they stole bits of “Stairway to Heaven” from Spirit’s “Taurus” is back in court this week. I’ll keep an eye on things.
2. Weekly Canadian music sales and streaming stats vs. where things were at this time last year: Total album sales, -23.8%; CDs, -25.1%, digital albums, -21.7%; digital tracks, -27.7%; vinyl LPs, -0.7%; on-demand audio streams, +34.8% (1.544 billion streams last week).
3. Smart speakers: Definitely coming to cars.
4. Madonna has a £6 million palace in Portugal. Wanna buy it?
5. This Chinese company is not only into creating video games but raising pigs. Actual pigs.
6. Speaking of games, this is…whoa.
7. Here’s a really intimate and revealing interview with Thom Yorke.
8. It’s not a music venue, but a lot of indie musicians are mourning the impending closure of La Hacienda in Toronto.
9. All Tekashi 6ix9ine wanted was a photo with Mr. Met. Then gang warfare broke out.
10. A travel insurance company has refused to cover the medical costs to someone hurt while stage-diving.
11. Liam Gallagher says he can solve the rash of knight crimes in London with a few magic mushrooms.
12. Is Tupac alive? This video will throw fire on that conspiracy.
13. Paul McCartney is 77, but he says he didn’t expect to live beyond 28. Wait: Can this be folded into the Paul-is-Dead conspiracy somehow?
14. Google Home smart speakers are about to get less sensitive.
15. Lenny Kravitz lost a pair of sunglasses. He’s gutted.
16. The latest installment of Often Forgotten Canadian Hard Rock and Metal Bands: White Wolf.